Free State Eskom spokesperson, Stefanie Jansen van Rensburg, tells OFM News the cause of the electrical outage is a damaged transformer at the Thabong East substation. The substation now needs to be replaced - a process which according to Jansen van Rensburg takes time.

She cautions the public that “transformer replacement is a complex and lengthy procedure which results in prolonged outage”. Power in parts of Thabong is likely to be restored on Tuesday, November 10th. The power utility apologises for the inconvenience caused.

This, however, isn’t the first time that a damaged transformer has forced residents in parts of Thabong to go about their daily activities without power.  In June 2020, residents in the same township were without electricity for a little over three weeks as winter was kicking in. The utility blamed this on transformers that had been damaged in an explosion. In August of 2020, residents again suffered the same fate due to faulty transformers.

OFM News